‘I was told I was covered:’ Ontario man gets $12,000 air ambulance bill from Alberta

It may surprise you to know that you might want to have additional health insurance when travelling within Canada. Pat Foran reports.

Out-of-the-country medical bills could add up fast, which is why travel medical insurance is needed whenever leaving the country. But it may surprise those travelling within Canada that they too need additional health insurance.

An Oakville man says he always purchases travel medical insurance when he leaves Canada, but he didn’t when he went to Alberta this year.

After receiving emergency care for a heart attack, Doug McGinley was shocked to get a bill for more than $12,000.

“I was surprised, disappointed, angry, you could put all of that together,” said McGinley.

While driving through Saskatchewan, he started to have chest pains, and after they crossed the border into Alberta, he ended up in a hospital in Medicine Hat.

“They admitted me into the ER, and they did tests and determined that I was suffering or had suffered a mild heart attack,” McGinley told CTV News Toronto.

He had to be flown by air ambulance to Calgary for emergency treatment.

“I said, ‘Who is paying for this?’ and they said, ‘Don’t worry, you’re covered,’” McGinley recounted.

He said he was given excellent care but was surprised last month to get a bill from Alberta Health Services for ambulance charges of $12,483.

That’s when he found out the flight was not covered under Alberta or Ontario health plans.

“I was told it was covered. They came back and said transportation is not covered under the Health Care Act and you owe us the money,” said McGinley.

When CTV News reached out to the Ontario Health Ministry, a spokesperson confirmed that out-of-province transport is only covered when a patient is transferred by ground ambulance from one facility to another for diagnostic or therapeutic service and the patient returns to the first hospital within 24 hours.

“In these instances, the cost of the transfer is included in the first hospital’s billing rate(s) and the patient should not be billed. Out-of-province ambulance charges (with the exception of the inter-facility transfers described above), are not covered and are the responsibility of the patient,” the spokesperson said.

According to Martin Firestone, the president of Travel Secure, ambulance fees are the most common charge Canadians face when getting health care in other provinces.

“The number one item that is not covered within Canada is ambulance coverage, whether it’s off a mountain in British Columbia or what happened to this individual,” said Firestone.

Firestone said most health services are covered when travelling within Canada, but there are exceptions.

Provincial health plans don’t cover ambulance air and ground, mountain and sea rescue, emergency dental services, medical equipment rental, and prescription drugs.

Firestone recommends purchasing a product called “Travel Within Canada” insurance, which is less than a dollar a day.

“It is a product that is available and some people after hearing this story may feel it’s a wise product to invest in,” said Firestone.

McGinley said he appreciates the care he received but didn’t know he would have such an expensive ambulance bill to pay.

“If telling my story can help someone else avoid the situation I’m in – then that’s great,” said McGinley.